Neighborhood: Garosugil #3

On Friday, Felicia and I met at Garosugil to celebrate my second removal of my braces. We had dinner at Allo Papergarden and went to Deux Cremes for dessert. I've come to associate cake whenever I see her, so I feel disappointed if I don't eat some type of pastry after a meal. I've had my gripes about Garosugil, but I've really grown to love it. Aside from hosting the world's best hairdresser (Sung-hee at Jacques Dessanges) and one of my favorite shops in Seoul (Caramel), it's a great place to people-watch. And you will see all sorts of people. For instance, Felicia and I had the delight of sitting next to a couple who thought their table at Deux Cremes was located in a love motel. (This is scandalous for a relatively conservative country. You will never see a couple kissing in public here. I witnessed an old man nearly have a heart attack when he witnessed a couple making out.)

Dinner notes: Allo Papergarden is one of the more popular destinations here. Located on Serosugil (a backstreet), it's a store-cum-restaurant/cafe that serves Italian basics like pasta, risotto, sandwiches, etc. Not pictured are our dishes: I had the seafood risotto which was super luxurious and relatively well done, while Felicia had some pasta dish that was creamy so I didn't partake.

Dessert notes: Deux Cremes is poppin'. Get there early or be prepared to wait - for possibly long amounts of time. Despite its exterior, the space is insanely small for its traffic. The tarts are pretty decent, but can someone tell me why every pie/tart has a rock hard crust in Seoul?!?! Deux Cremes would be an embarrassing place to go on a first date; I'd spent more time stabbing the pastry with my fork than paying attention to anything else.

How to get there: for Allo Papergarden - coming from Sinsa Stn. (신사역 #8출구), walk down Garosugil and take a left at the street before Nescafe, then take the first right. Walk straight and Allo Papergarden will be on your left. Deux Cremes is located on the main street (Garosugil), near the Kate Spade store.




I love the interior at Allo Papergarden.